Top member for self-contained wall structures



May 23, 1939. l G SHARP 2,159,296

TOP MEMBER FOR SELF-CONTAINED WALL STRUCTURES Filed May 24, 1937Patented May 23, 1939 v ili'l'rl STATES PATENT OFFICE T01 MEMBER FORSELF-CONTAINED WALL STRUCTURES George G. Sharp, Wyoming, MillburnTownship, Essex County, N. J.

Application May 14, 1937, Serial No. 142,695

5 Claims. (Cl. 189*34) This invention relates to partition structures,Another object of the invention is to provide and has particularreference to improvements in novel means for the purposes stated whichmeans partition structures of the general type described is simple,inexpensive, entirely practical and and claimed in my prior application,Serial No. thoroughly reliable and efiicient in use.

5 6,337, filed February 13, 1935. With the foregoing and various otherobjects A partition structure of the general type rein view, which willbecome more fully apparent ferred to is characterized by a top channelmemas the nature of the invention is better underber fastened to aceiling or its equivalent, a botstood, the same consists in the novelcombination tom channel member fastened to a floor or its andarrangement of parts, and in the novel fea- 9 equivalent, channeledposts disposed vertically at tures of construction, as will behereinafter more spaced intervals between said top and bottom fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying 10 members, and panelsengaged at their tops and drawing and defined in the appended claims.bottoms in the channels of said top and bottom In the accompanyingdrawing, wherein like members and at their side edges in the channelscharacters of reference denote corresponding of said posts. In erectingsuch a partition strucparts in the different views: 5 ture the top andthe bottom channel members Fig. 1 is a side elevation, with parts brokenfirst are fastened to the ceiling and the floor, or away, of a portionof a partition structure emtheir equivalents, respectively, and thepanels bodying the features of the present invention; then are slidedgewise into engagement with the Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line22 of Fig. 1;

channels of said members, the posts being inter- Fig. 3 is a perspectiveView of one of the present 20 posed between adjacent edges of adjacentpanels bridge elements; and as the latter are slid into place. In thisWay the Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a fragment of one panelstructure is erected without the use of of the present posts. fasteners,other than the fasteners which are Referring to the drawing in detail, Aand B employed for securing the top and the bottom designate,respectively, a ceiling and a floor as members, and yet, in theassembly, the panels are their equivalents, and I0 and H designate,reinterlocked both with the top and the bottom spectively, top andbottom channel members semembers and with the posts and the latter servecured in any suitable manner to said ceiling and both as side edgesupports for the panels and as floor, or their equivalents,respectively.

neat and attractive joint forming members be- The top and bottom channelmembers l0 and 30 tween adjacent edges of adjacent panels. How- II areof inverted U-shape and of U-shape in ever, when it is necessary toslide the panels cross section, respectively, and are verticallyedgewise into engagement with the top and the alined and each includes apair of spaced side bottom members difficulties frequently arise, duewalls I2, l2. They extend, or it is desirable that usually to lack ofspace in which to accommodate they shall extend, from end to end of thepartithe panels beyond the ends of the top and the tion structure,regardless of its length. bottom members preliminary to effecting theirThe members ill and H comprise top and botengagement with said top andbottom members. tom supports for partition forming panels I3, Moreover,it is quite desirable for various reasons of which there may be anydesired number of any to have the panels selectively engageable withdesired width. 4:0 and ciisengageable from the top and the bottom Thelower edge portions of the panels !3 may be members without requiringthat any other panel disposed directly in the channel of the bottomfirst be engaged with or disengaged from said channel member I l asshown, or they may be inmembers. directly mounted in the channel of saidbottom 5 Acc y, the general Object 0f he present member through theinstrumentality of an interinvention is to provide, in a partitionstructure posed l t or l t n t Shown I any of the general type referredto, novel means event, the channel of the bottom channel memwhereby anypanel of a series of panels may ber obviously may be equal in width orof greater readily Eli-1d easily be operatively assembled With or lesserwidth than the thickness of the panels the top and bottom channelmembers without I 3, depending upon whether the lower edge por- 50requiring that any other panel first be assembled tions of the panelsare directly or indirectly with said members, and whereby any panel ofan mounted in said bottom channel member. On assembled series mayreadily and easily be rethe other hand, the top channel member IDprefmoved without disturbing any other panel of the erably is of greaterwidth than the thickness of 5 assembled series. the panels 13 by anamount to permit the assembly with said channel member of bridgeelements l4 having downwardly opening channels [5 of a width toaccommodate the upper edge portions of the panels I3.

Each bridge element I 4 preferably is formed from sheet metal andcomprises spaced side walls l6, l6 connected together at their tops bywebs II, or, if desired, by a continuous top wall, and at their bottomsby webs IE, or, if desired, by a continuous bottom wall. The spacing ofthe side walls l6, I6 is such that the bridge element may be engagedneatly between the sidewalls l2, 12 of the top channel member IDforsliding movement both vertically and longitudinally relative to saidtop channel member and, as shown, the bottom webs [8, or the continuousbottom wall of said bridge element, as the case may be, are, or is,formed with the downwardly opening channel I 5 to accommodate the upperedge portions of the panels. l3. V

One of the bridge elements i4 is employed at the tops of each twoadjacent panels I3 to accommodate in its channel l5 the top edgeportions of both panels adjacent to the side edges thereof. To. this endthe bridge members may be of any desired length to accommodate top edgeportions of the panels of any desired length, and since said bridgeelements are slidable longitudinally relative to the top channel memberIt) it is apparent that they may be properly positioned relative to saidtop member If! to accommodate the upper edge portions of adjacent panelsregardless of where the adjacent side edges of adjacent panels aredisposed longitudinally relative to-the top member ill. In other words,the bridge members l4 may be used'with panels of relatively great width,or relatively narrow width, or with panels of various different widthsin any given partition structure.

In erecting a partition according to the present invention and assumingthat the top and bottom channel members I!) and l l have been fastenedin place in accordance with known practice, the lower edge portion of apanel [3 is engaged either directly or indirectly with the channel ofthe bottom channel member H and the upper edge portion of the panel isbrought into alinement with the top channel member 10, the height of thepanel being such, of course, that its top does not reach to the bottomsof the bridge elements I4 when the latter are in their uppermostpositions relative to the top channel member. The said bridge elements,having previously been slid upwardly relative to the top channel memberto permit the upper edge of the panel to be moved to underlie the same,then are slid downwardly to cause the upper edge portion of the panel tobe received in 'the channels l5. Thereby, the panel becomes effectivelyheld, both at its top as well as at its bottom, against forward orbackward movement relative to the top and bottom members H! and Il, andwhen a complete series of panels has been erected in this manner betweena pair of end walls or the like, it is apparagainst shifting in theirplanes longitudinally relative to the top and the bottom channelmembers. Also, it is apparent that any panel of a series may be erectedwithout any necessity of horizontal edgewise movement thereof andregardless of the erection of any other panel, and that any panel of aseries may be removed without disturbing any other panel of the series.

Preferably, but not necessarily, a post I9 is employed between theadjacent edges of each two adjacent panels I3. Said posts are of doublechannel form or, in other Words, are of H-shape in cross section toaccommodate the adjacent vertical edge portions of the panels, and, ifused, they serve not only to support the adjacent vertical edge portionsof the panels against forward or backward movement relative to eachother, but to cover the vertical edges of the panels and provide neatand attractive joints between adjacent panels. In this connection, Wheredifferent partition structures meet at right angles or in other angularrelationship to each other, posts of L-shape or other suitable shapeobviously may be employed in accordance with the teaching of myaforesaid prior application.

It is desirable to provide means to retain the bridge members Mtemporarily in their upper positions relative to the top channel memberIII to facilitate erection of a partition, and while any suitable meansmay be provided for this purpose, one simple, practical means for thepurpose comprises resilient tongues 20 struck outwardly from the sidewalls lfi, l6 ofsaid bridge members to frictionally engage the outerfaces of the side walls l2, [2 of the channel member ill.

' The channel member ii] serves conveniently as a housing for electricwires or the like designated asZl, and in order to provide supports forsuch wires or the like, tongues 22 may be struck inwardly from the sidewalls l6, E6 of the bridge elements l4.

Finishing plates 23 preferably are provided to cover the bridge elementsI 4, the bottom portions of the top channel member [0 and the upper edgeportions of the panels I3, and in accordance with the present inventionthe bridge elements I 4 preferably are formed to support said plates ina manner such that they may readily and easily be snapped into place andmay equally as readily and easily be removed whenever desired. The upperor freeedges of the spring tongues 22 are directed outwardly asindicated at 24 and lips 25 having downwardly facing convex surfaces arestruck outwardly from the side walls It, I6 of the bridge elements nearthe bottoms thereof.

The finishing plates 23 have inwardly directed flanges at their topsterminating in downwardly directed lips 26 which are engageable behindthe outwardly directed, upper, free edge portions 24 of the tongues 22,and at or near the bottoms of said finishing plates are other inwardlydirected flanges terminating in upwardly facing lips 21 which areengageable beneath the lips 25. The finishing plates are resilient andthe spacing of their lips 26, 21 is such that they are engageable by asnap action with the upper edge portions of the tongues 22 and the lips25. Therefore, they may readily be applied and may equally as readily beremoved. In addition to their finishing function they serve also assupports for ceiling panels designated as 28.

Obviously, one or more of the bridge elements l4 may be employed inaddition to and intermeent that the panels are held by one another diatethe two bridge elements at the side edges of structural forms within itsspirit and scope as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A partition assembly, comprising aligned top and bottom channelmembers, a pair of adjacent panels disposed between said top and bottommembers with their vertical edges in edge to edge relationship, thelower edge portions of said panels being received in the channel of thebottom member and the upper edge portions of said panels being spacedfrom the top member, and a channeled bridge elementadjustablelongitudinally along the channel of the top member and alongthe upper edges of the panel pair and overlapping the adjacent verticaledges of the panel pair, said bridge element being slidable upwardly insaid channel of the top member to a position wherein it will clear theupper edge portions of the panel pair and then downwardly to a positionwherein its own channel will receive said upper edge portions, andassist to maintain the panels correctly positioned between said top andbottom members.

2. The assembly of claim 1, and a vertical post disposed between thevertical edges of said panel pair and terminating at its top below thetop member, said post having continuous channels extending substantiallyfrom end to end thereof within which the vertical edge portions of thepanels are received, and said post at its lower end engaging with thebottom member of the assembly.

3. A partition structure comprising a pair of adjacent panels disposedwith their vertical edges in edge to edge relationship, a bottomsupporting and holding means for said panels, a fixed downwardly openingchanneled top member having side walls, and a bridge element disposedbetween the side walls of said top member and having a downwardlyopening channel to receive a top edge portion of at least one of thepanels, said bridge element being vertically movable relative to saidtop member to effect engagement and disengagement of the top edges ofthe panels with and from the channel in said bridge element, and havingresilient tongues extending into engagement with the outer faces of theside walls of the top member to assist in frictionally holding thebridge element against movement relative to the top member.

4. A partition structure comprising a pair of adjacent panels disposedwith their vertical edges in edge to edge relationship, a bottomsupporting and holding means for said panels, a fixed downwardly openingchanneled top member having s de walls, and a hollow bridge elementdisposed between the side walls of said top member and having side wallsand a downwardly opening channel to receive a top edge portion of atleast one of the panels, said bridge element being vertically movablerelative to said top member to effect engagement and disengagement ofthe top edges of the panels with and from the channel in bridge element,the side walls of said bridge element having inwardly bent supportingtongues i or wires or the like.

5. A partition structure comprising a pair of adjacent panels disposedwith their vertical edges in edge to edge relationship, a bottomsupporting and holding means for said panels, a fixed downwardly openingchanneled top member having side walls, a bridge element disposedbetween the side walls of said top member and having a downwardlyopening channel to receive a top edge portion of at least one of thepanels, said bridge element being vertically movable relative to saidtop member to effect engagement and disengagement of the top edges ofthe panels with and from the channel in said bridge element, finishingplates covering the sides of the top member, the sides or" the bridgeelement, and the upper edge portions of the panels, and cooperating snapfastener means on said finishing plates and said bridge element.

GEO. G. SHARP.

